Blue Stone Folk School is hosting a great old-time banjo workshop and concert this Saturday, April 3, featuring the seasoned stylings of world-renowned old-time banjo artist Clarke Buehling, of Fayetteville, Ark.

The workshop will be from 12 to 4 p.m at Bethel Lutheran Church, 20650 Cumberland Road in Noblesville. Mr. Buehling will teach two classes on the banjo styles of yesteryear:

Early Clawhammer Banjo (12:30-2 p.m.)
Discusses the evolution of clawhammer banjo style out of Anglo-Celtic and African musical traditions during the era of riverboats and minstrelsy .Teaches various clawhammer techniques at an intermediate level, interspersed with historical anecdotes and period humor.

Classic Fingerstyle Banjo (2:30-4 p.m.)
This class teaches the refined banjo style of the early 1900s, influenced by fingerpicked classical guitar. A banjo style that took the banjo up to high society for a while includes a mix of rags, marches, gallops, jigs, reels and polkas. This style was a huge influence on the great Charlie Poole, one of the founding fathers of bluegrass banjo. This rare class shows students the missing link between clawhammer and bluegrass.

Classes are $35 individually or $60 for the pair. Registration begins at Noon on Saturday. Please pay in cash.

If you happen to be more of an old-time banjo ‘preciator than a picker, please join us from 7 to 9 p.m. at Noble Coffee & Tea Company, 933 Logan St., for an entertaining old-time banjo concert in charming downtown Noblesville. The show will open with a brief opening set from Blue Stone-affiliated banjo frailer Howard Clark, of Brookston. Mr. Buehling will be up next with some fine old-time banjo tunes and songs about possums and raccoons. All this and the company of some fine folks over coffee, tea, wine or beer for the paltry sum of $10 — a heck of a deal, my friends.

We at Blue Stone Folk School would be significantly grateful if you, dear reader, would be kind enough to forward this email on to any of your banjo-loving friends who may find this event most interesting.